What are some well-known Jerry Lewis films?

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Some well-known Jerry Lewis films include comic classics from the actor-comedian's heyday such as "The Bellboy," "Cinderfella," "The Errand Boy" and "The Nutty Professor," as well as later efforts such as the early '80s farce "Hardly Working." More recently, Lewis received praise for supporting performances in lesser known but critically lauded comedy-dramas such as "The King of Comedy" and "Funny Bones."

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Lewis is at his zaniest in his early comedies. In 1960, he wrote, directed and starred in "The Bellboy," a wacky workplace comedy chronicling the misadventures of a hapless hotel employee. In the same year, he wrote and directed "Cinderfella," a Christmas release in which he re-imagined the classic fairy tale by changing the lead character's gender and creating a starring role for himself.

The following year, Lewis co-wrote, directed and starred in the workplace comedy "The Errand Boy," portraying an undercover movie studio spy whose ineptitude causes nothing but chaos. In 1963, he starred in "The Nutty Professor" as a socially inept educator who transforms himself into an overbearing, over-the-top lothario. Decades later, the 1981 comedy "Hardly Working" starred Lewis as an out-of-work clown who bounces unsuccessfully from one ill-fitting job to the next, leaving lunacy in his wake.

"The King of Comedy," Martin Scorsese's darkly comic 1983 media critique, is a lesser known Jerry Lewis film that boasts a certain cult status. In a supporting role, Lewis plays an acerbic late night talk show host abducted by rabid fans. Similarly, the 1995 comedy-drama "Funny Bones" features Lewis as a fictional comedy legend navigating a troubled relationship with his son, a struggling entertainer.